Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-04-21-Speech-3-026"
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"en.20100421.3.3-026"2
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"Mr President, Mr Šemeta, Mr López Garrido, I am very pleased to see you and to address you – welcome. In the period 2000-2010, we have seen a 610% increase in EU contributions to the decentralised agencies. The contributions have increased from EUR 95 to 579 million, even though the staff numbers of those agencies increased by around 271%.
In 2000, the agencies employed 1 219 people, whereas, today, they employ 4 794. These figures do not take into account the European Agency for Reconstruction, which was closed in 2008, and on the last discharge of which we will vote today, or rather at a later date in Brussels.
This general increase is certainly impressive. Nonetheless, in the period 2000-2010, the European Union has had to face many challenges. Firstly, two enlargements, in 2004 and 2007, with 12 new Member States, and other challenges such as employment and vocational training, immigration, the environment, air safety and many others still.
In this context, the decentralised agencies that were set up to respond to a specific need make a direct contribution, through the skills they develop, to the European Union’s progress in the face of these huge challenges. Similarly, the Member States must cooperate closely on these issues, and the agencies are a powerful vehicle for these exchanges. Lastly, establishing the agencies throughout EU territory makes Europe closer to its citizens and permits a certain degree of decentralisation of EU activities.
The scope of the tasks entrusted to the agencies and the increase in their number, size and budgets does, however, require the institutions to fulfil their own budgetary authority responsibilities. The budgetary control remit of Parliament, like that of the Internal Audit Service of the Commission and of the Court of Auditors, must also be strengthened to ensure that these agencies are monitored properly. However, that does not exempt them from having to comply with the rules in force.
With regard to the 2008 discharge, I would point out here what are, unfortunately, recurring problems facing many agencies: the weaknesses in procurement procedures; the unrealistic recruitment planning and the lack of transparency in the procedures for selecting their personnel; the large volume of carryovers and cancellations of operational appropriations; and the weaknesses in the scheduling of activities, with a lack of specific objectives.
We note that, despite the agencies’ efforts, some of them still have difficulty in applying EU financial and budgetary regulations, not least because of their size. The smallest agencies have more difficulty in following the onerous procedures imposed by EU legislation. On this point, I expect the swift conclusions of the interinstitutional working group to ensure that the same problems are not repeated year after year. Nevertheless, these difficulties do not jeopardise the granting of discharge for the financial year 2008.
The situation is different for the European Police College (CEPOL). Although one may note some improvements in the management of CEPOL when compared with the situation in 2007, the audits carried out reveal some blatant irregularities in the application of the administrative and financial rules. That is why we are proposing that discharge be postponed.
To conclude, I should like to highlight the efforts made by some agencies to improve their management. Some have taken it upon themselves to go further and have introduced rules that are worthy of praise, and I shall mention just a few of them. The European Food Safety Authority, which I would add was very effective in its agency coordination role, has introduced a risk assessment process. The European Environment Agency has implemented a management control system for monitoring the progress of its projects and the use of its resources in real time. Lastly, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has created a system for monitoring the information it provides. To conclude, I do, of course, encourage the agencies to follow this example."@en1
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